Chapter 252: Super Fleet Shows Its Might

Off the coast of Shen City, evening.

The last glimmer of sunset is about to vanish on the horizon, staining the sea surface with an eerie orange‑red hue. The officers and crew of the Eastern Nagato Detachment are still lost in fantasies of the forthcoming "victory" and celebration banquet.

The officers on the bridge are even casually observing the distant coastline through telescopes, discussing how to impose harsher terms on Lin Yu tomorrow.

Suddenly!

A lookout on a Fubuki-class destroyer at the fleet's periphery sounded a mournful alarm!

"Enemy attack! Northwest! Unidentified fleet approaching at high speed!"

The alarm struck the bridge of the Nagato like a boulder tossed into a calm lake, instantly shattering the relaxed atmosphere!

"Nani?!" Shankou Duowen could hardly believe his ears, snatching the telescope and rushing to the port window.

Other officers also turned pale and rushed to their own observation stations.

When they looked through the telescopes and saw a massive, unfamiliar steel fleet surge out of the previously empty sea to the northwest like a phantom, everyone was stunned!

"What… what is that?!"

"What a speed! Which nation's fleet is that?!"

"British? American? How did they get here?!"

"No… look at the hull shape! It's German style! But that's impossible!"

Shock! Disbelief! Panic!

A flood of emotions swept the bridge at once! They never imagined that in these waters they deemed absolutely safe, a fleet of such overwhelming power and unknown origin would suddenly appear, and the enemy was clearly prepared, charging forward in a ferocious assault formation!

"Turn immediately! Prepare to meet the enemy!" Shankou Duowen, an experienced commander, forced himself to calm after the initial shock and shouted hoarsely, "All ships! Battle readiness level one! Quick! Quick!"

But it was already too late!

While the Eastern Fleet scrambled, trying to shift from a loose deterrent formation to a combat formation, Lin Yu's Sea Eagle Task Force had already seized the optimal attack positions!

"Open fire!!!"

At Shen Chonghai's command, the already‑locked "Iron Blood" (Bismarck) and two Hipper-class Heavy Cruisers roared first!

Boom—Boom—Rumble!!!

The earth‑shaking roar ripped the evening's tranquility! The four twin‑mounted 380 mm main‑gun turrets of the Iron Blood fired simultaneously, spewing a massive orange‑red fireball from the barrels; the heavy armor‑piercing shells screamed through the sky like the scythe of Death, smashing toward the distant Eastern Fleet! Hot on their heels came the 203 mm shells from the Hipper-class Heavy Cruisers!

With a fire‑control system and range advantage far beyond its era, the Sea Eagle Task Force launched a devastating pre‑emptive strike before the Eastern Fleet could fully react or even enter effective range!

The shells fell like vengeful hail, raining precisely on the unprepared Eastern ships formation!

"Boom!!!" A 380 mm armor‑piercing round struck directly the main‑gun turret of a Myōkō-class Heavy Cruiser at the front of the line!

The thick turret armor was torn as easily as paper, and a violent explosion hurled the entire turret into the air, sending flames and thick smoke skyward!

"Boom!" The midsection of a Fusō-class old battleship was hit by several shells in succession, the armor pierced effortlessly, igniting fierce flames and causing the hull to visibly tilt!

The deck instantly became a living hell! Explosions, metal tearing, and soldiers' screams filled the air! The caught‑off‑guard Eastern crew panicked under the deluge of fire, fleeing in all directions! Flames and thick smoke rapidly devoured the hull, and seawater flooded the breached compartments!

Some destroyers and cruisers tried to fire their outdated guns in retaliation, but their fire‑control systems could not effectively lock onto the fast‑moving German fleet at such distance. The few shells they managed to launch mostly fell like headless flies onto the open sea, splashing weak water droplets, posing no threat to the Sea Eagle Task Force.

The battle was a one‑sided slaughter from the start! The Eastern Navy's arrogance was shattered by the Iron Blood's 380 mm cannons!

Faced with the sudden devastating strike, the Eastern Nagato Detachment, still lost in victory fantasies, fell into complete chaos!

"Turn! Turn quickly! Evade fire!"

"Mid‑ship hit on the port side! Damage control team! Extinguish the fire!"

"The flagship's signal flags are unreadable! Is communications being jammed?!"

"Our guns can't reach them! Too far!"

A jumble of panicked orders and reports clogged the Eastern Fleet's communication channels. Although the flagship Nagato, thanks to its heavy armor and relatively quick response, temporarily avoided a direct crippling blow, Shankou Duowen's face turned ashen as he clutched the rail to stay upright.

He tried to command the fleet to reform and counterattack via flag signals and radio, but to little effect.

Under the Iron Blood's precise and sustained long‑range bombardment, combined with the terror wrought by the surprise attack, the Eastern Fleet's command system was nearly paralyzed.

Each ship lost effective coordination, fighting on its own. Some attempted to speed away under fire, some frantically returned meaningless fire, and others, badly damaged, fell out of formation, leaving the whole group scattered like a frightened school of fish, fully exposed to the predator's fangs.

In stark contrast, the Sea Eagle Task Force displayed exceptionally high tactical acumen and coordination.

Under Shen Chonghai's cool and precise command, the entire German fleet moved like a flexible, lethal scalpel, weaving swiftly across the battlefield.

The Iron Blood battleship, with its 30‑knot speed and excellent maneuverability, kept a safe distance from the enemy fleet, using its range advantage to conduct precise point‑target strikes. Its advanced fire‑control system continuously solved target data, sending lethal 380 mm shells into enemy vital points.

At the same time, it deftly altered course, easily evading the occasional, wildly inaccurate stray fire from Eastern ships.

The two Hipper-class Heavy Cruisers acted like ferocious hounds, using their high speed and heavy firepower to roam the battlefield's edge, repeatedly delivering brutal finishing blows to isolated or damaged Eastern cruisers and destroyers. Their accurate 203 mm shells were likewise lethal to the relatively lightly protected vessels.

The four Z-class Destroyers were like agile assassins, darting through battlefield gaps at high speed, using their powerful anti‑aircraft guns (88 mm AA) to guard against possible aerial threats while silently launching deadly torpedoes at immobilized or disordered enemy ships. White torpedo wakes streaked across the sea, heralding the next round of even more violent explosions!

Even the U‑boat that had been lurking underwater began, under Liu Jingsong's command, to quietly close in on the injured, straggling large targets, preparing to deliver a final lethal torpedo strike!

The entire Sea Eagle Task Force, under Shen Chonghai's direction, formed a combined surface‑and‑subsurface fire‑power network. They not only held absolute firepower superiority, but also completely outclassed the chaotic Eastern Detachment in tactical mobility, battlefield awareness, and coordinated action!

The Eastern Navy's proud fleet‑combat capability, before this trans‑dimensional German elite force, appeared childish and vulnerable. Their defeat was sealed the moment combat began. All that remained was a matter of time, and… how long Lin Yu wants this slaughter to last.